Memorial of Saint Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

O people of Zion, who dwell in Jerusalem, no more will you weep;…with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher, While from behind, a voice shall sound in your ears: “This is the way; walk in it” (Isaiah 30:19)

These readings move our attention from the future to the present. The promise that our weeping will not last forever allows us now to weep. But we are not weeping alone or abandoned; we are safely dwelling in the Lord.

Blessed are all who wait on the Lord. Notice the present tense… blessed NOW… blessed in the wait, blessed in the suffering, blessed in the pain. The Greek word used here for wait is chakah, which means “to adhere to, to await.” God is with us while we wait; this is why we are blessed. We are blessed when we adhere to the Lord while we wait for Him to act. We are not waiting for Him to show up, for He already has. Adhering means “to stay, cling, cleave, stay attached.”

“The cross is not a punishment; it is a consolation. The saints have understood this. That is why they are attached to it.” (Saint Peter Julian Eymard, A Thought Per Day)

Blessed are you who are now weeping… (Luke 6:21)

Waiting with the Lord, attached to His Cross. This is where we receive the gift of hope, a hope that does not disappoint. This hope allows us to weep, to cry out, to mourn. We know he is listening, for we trust He is with us.

Let us pray:

O God, who made the Bishop Saint Ambrose a teacher of the Catholic faith and a model of apostolic courage, raise up in your Church men after your own heart to govern her with courage and wisdom. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. (From the Opening Prayer)